One of the defining features of contemporary democratic systems is secularization, that is, the process through which civil society emancipates itself from the control of religious institutions, and religion loses its dominant role in social life. In the West, religion no longer determines cultural, political, or social choices, although it continues to influence individuals and the public sphere. Secularization can be understood in quantitative terms, as a decline in the number of believers, or in qualitative terms, as a loss of religion's relevance in the public domain. It has made possible the transition from the "closed society," characterized by traditional rigidity, centralized control, and lack of pluralism, to the "open society," based on the free market, private property, contracts, and the rule of law, fostering autonomy and pluralism. Religion has not disappeared: although its role has diminished, it continues to shape society and influence public decisions. Religious organizations can act as lobbies, that is, organized groups seeking to affect public policies either directly or through public debate, mobilizing symbolic and value-based resources. The evolution of the relationship between religion and the state shows how religion has shifted from direct social control to the capacity for influence, with different models depending on the context. In Italy, religious organizations carve out space in the public arena, influencing both individuals and institutions. The Catholic Church, in particular, retains political and media relevance, as highlighted by the state-church cleavages identified by Rokkan. Religious groups participate in public decision-making and act to preserve or expand their role, functioning as genuine lobbying actors. This phenomenon demonstrates that the relationship between modernity and religion is not characterized by absence but by transformation.